Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 2, 1 February 1991 — Old music of Hawaiʻi in new catalog [ARTICLE]

Old music of Hawaiʻi in new catalog

Many questions are often asked about Hawaiian songs. And many go answered. Who wrote the song? Who composed the music? When was the song written/composed? Is the English translation accurate? What are all of the words? What notes or chords used today are embellishments provided by more recent performers? The answers to these and other questions relating to Hawaiian songs ean usually be found on the original sheet music.

The University of Hawai i at Manoa Library has put together a two-volume, 700-page computer catalog whieh gives users various information including where to find original sheet music. The catalog is called Hawaiian Sheet Music Index: A Union Catalog. A thousand titles are listed and more will be added. There are two ways to use the catalog. Interested people ean go to the UH Hamilton Library or libraries in the UH system. Those with computers at home ean access the catalog by way of a modem.

For those allergic to computers, and willing to do some major thumbing, bound copies will be placed in public libraries "as soon as possible," according to Dr. Michaelyn Chou, project director. She noted that all public libraries with modems already have access to the catalog. Songs are indexed by: song title, first line of the song, first line of the chorus, composer, arranger and lyricist. Other information includes plaee and date of publication, publisher, copyright date and where to find the original sheet music. The computer makes using the large catalog easier. For example, Chou said users ean search for songs by way of key words. A user ean eall up all songs that have the word "Waikiki" in the title, she said.

Currently the catalog lists songs in the sheet music holdings of Hamikon Library's Hawaiian collection, Bishop Museum Library and Hawaii State Library's Fine Arts and Audiovisual Section. Chou said they will soon be adding on the large collection of sheet music at the Institute for Hawaiian Studies at Kamehameha Schools. The project was funded by Alu Like ine. According to Haunani Apoliona, an aeeomplished loeal musician and president and chief executive of Alu Like ine., the catalog represents "an information resource for musicians and performers who want to perpetuate the history of our musical compositions," and who want to understand the songs and use correct lyrics. "To be able to get to original sheet music and translations ean (help) recapture the moment and spirit of creation," added Apoliona.

"Musicians and performers ean make sure they perform accurately and interpret the right spirit to the listener . . . This is the human part of it," she said. Most of the songs listed in the catalog are in English and many date back to the 1920s and 1930s era when the "hapa-haole" style was popular. Librarians are hoping to add more Hawaiianlanguage sheet music to the cata!og including perhaps the addition of Kamehameha Schools' large data base of sheet music. Librarians also wish to

encourage loeal composers and musicians to contribute copies of their printed sheet music. A sample of some songs currently in the catalog:

— "Siren of a Southern Sea" — "A Maile Lei for Your Hair" — "A Song of 01d Hawai'i" — "Aloha 'Oe" — "My Rose of Waikiki" — "Halialaulani" (Kumaka Kaikena ia Hiilawe) Karen Peaeoek, Pacific curator at the library,

said there is no charge to use the catalog. Personal computer users with modems must apply for an access number through the UH Manoa Hamilton Librarv administration office at 956-7205.

Hawaiians on the mainland may also gain access to the catalog, whieh is a special index of the Colorado Allianee Research Libraries (CARL) system. CARL is a cross-country coalition of 20 research libraries. Chou said mainland Hawaiians ean eheek with their loeal libraries to find the nearest CARL member library.